Femara for metastatic disease?
Meet the Experts
Sandra F. Schnall, M.D. is a medical oncologist/hematologist who practices at Bryn Mawr Hospital in the Thomas Jefferson University Health System outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.
Question from Valerie: What is the current research on the effectiveness of Femara on women who have been diagnosed with inoperable stage IV breast tumors?
- Answers —Sandra Schnall, M.D.: Interestingly, Femara was initially FDA-approved for metastatic cancer in the post-menopausal woman, so Femara has a good track record and efficacy in that population.
- Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder: In addition, for women who have stage III breast cancer because of a large mass in the breast or because of significant lymph node involvement, they may get significant shrinkage of the cancer using Femara prior to surgery. In this situation, the cancer may not have been operable or easily removed up-front, but with a good response to Femara or another hormonal therapy, the cancer may become operable.
On Wednesday, April 21, 2004, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Hormonal Therapy Updates. Sandra Schnall, M.D. and Marisa Weiss, M.D. answered your questions about hormonal therapies and answered questions about which ones work best in different situations, how they might fit into your treatment sequence, how to deal with side effects, and more.
The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of Breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.
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